The Israeli occupation continues to implement its settlement project in the West Bank at an unprecedented pace, taking advantage of the international focus on the war in Gaza and regional developments.
These moves come under the leadership of far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who does not hide his open intentions to annex the entire West Bank, considering it part of "Greater Israel."
Through a series of measures that integrate administrative decisions, significant funding, and legal regulations, the occupying authorities are working to formally annex the West Bank de facto, without the need for an official declaration; this reflects a new approach that relies on gradualism rather than direct diplomatic confrontation.
In this context, the Israeli government adopted seven main measures to strengthen its grip on the West Bank, establishing a reality that makes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state more difficult than ever, according to a report published by the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization
- Transferring powers from the military to a civilian administration:
The occupying authorities have completed the transfer of the authority to manage the settlements from the military to a new civilian administration under the leadership of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. A "civil deputy" has been appointed, who has been granted the powers of the head of the civilian administration; this means that decisions related to the settlements are no longer in the hands of the military but are instead in the hands of civilian entities that are directly under the control of the far-right government.
- Legalization of settlement outposts:
The occupation resorted to creating a "path of agreement for legitimacy," aimed at granting official legitimacy to illegal settlement outposts; this allows for their funding and the provision of services to them. An amount of 85 million shekels has been allocated to support these outposts and enhance security within them, which encourages more settlers to move there, thereby entrenching Zionist control over new areas of the West Bank.
- Seizing more land:
"Israel" has announced 24,193 dunams (one dunam = 1,000 square meters) as "state land," with the aim of expanding settlement areas, legalizing agricultural outposts, and accelerating the implementation of new settlement plans. This policy is not new, but it has significantly accelerated in recent years, as the occupation uses legal and administrative means to seize Palestinian lands and reallocate them in favor of settlements.
- Massive financial support for settlement:
The occupying government has provided unprecedented financial support to the settlements by allocating one billion shekels (the dollar = 3.7 shekels) to cover the security needs of the settlements for the years 2024-2025, in addition to seven billion shekels to expand the network of roads for the settlers.
The funding aims to strengthen the infrastructure that makes the presence of settlers in the West Bank more sustainable, while Palestinians are being denied the opportunity to develop their basic infrastructure.
- Devoting discrimination in favor of the settlers:
The occupation authorities launched what is called "Equal Citizenship Reform," which is a project aimed at improving public services provided to settlers through government ministries, while Palestinians in the West Bank continue to live under exclusionary and restrictive policies. This "reform" reinforces systemic discrimination and grants settlers additional privileges, making the reality of annexation more entrenched.
- Imposing Zionist laws on the settlers:
The occupying government has completed the imposition of its civil laws on settlers through military orders, which means that the settlements are now effectively subject to "Israeli" law, rather than the military law that is supposed to apply to the occupied territories. This step reinforces the legal separation between settlers and Palestinians, making the settlements closer to being part of the occupying state, while Palestinians are deprived of any equal legal rights.
- Establishing a legal unit for annexation:
In a new step, the Israeli Ministry of Defense has established a new legal advisory unit under the supervision of Smotrich, which will take over the responsibilities of the civil administration that were previously under the control of the military. This shift reflects the occupation's desire to transform the West Bank into an area subject to direct civil administration, thereby reinforcing the actual annexation without the need for an official declaration. This is a blatant violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions.
